Leaders emerge in the Chase ahead of Kansas race

With seven races left in the Chase, Jimmie, Matt, and Kyle are pulling away.

Three races down and the Chase is quickly becoming the Matt, Jimmie, and Kyle Show, or maybe it is just the Rick and Joe Show as only Hendrick and Gibbs
make up the top spots. Riding back-to-back wins to start The Chase, Matt Kenseth still holds a diminishing lead with Jimmie Johnson only eight points out
after his win last week at Dover. But even "Five-Time" can't breath easy as he's in the middle of a Gibbs' sandwich with Kyle Busch only four points
behind.

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With seven races to go, it is still theoretically any driver's game (or so the Kahne fans keep yelling into my ear), but not really. The top three have
already created a line of division. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon are in fourth and fifth place respectively and in shooting distance, but at 27 points
back from Busch, catching up will take some great driving and a little calamity. Kasey Kahne is tail-end-charlie at 78 points back, and might as well be on
the outside looking in if he can't pull it together this weekend.

Going into Kansas, a shakeup is unlikely. If history is any indicator, Matt, Jimmie, and Kyle will only extend this lead. Kenseth has won here both times
since the track was paved in 2012; Johnson has two wins at Kansas as well; and with four wins Hendrick is only one win ahead of Gibbs overall since 2001. .

The 1.5 mile track is a short asphalt tri-oval with moderate 27 degree banking, but since its repaving, drivers have picked up speed. The first
repaved-race during the 2012 season was a festival of yellow caution flags.

A kink in the grand design of history (or at least with my prognostication) could come with the new tire compound from Goodyear. This new tire provides
more grip on the outer edge of the tire and more durability on the inside by utilizing a "multi-zone" structure.

Following mid-week testing at Kansas, Kenseth noted that his time on track with the new tire had been a "struggle". He did go on to note that he wasn't
concerned, but positive feedback from Hendrick's driver Jeff Gordon has to be a bit disconcerting.

At the tire's debut at Atlanta, there was a notable increase in speed and durability; however Kansas has a less abrasive surface which could add more speed
to the mix, or could lead to traction issues. In either case, it will lead to more interesting racing, as the drivers grow better accustomed to the new
tires in traffic.

Tune in at 2 PM EST on ESPN to watch the race, and feel free throw out your own predictions in the comments below.